


Ripples 5

by Grey (grey853)



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M, h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 01:50:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/792641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grey853/pseuds/Grey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim and Drew's first meeting doesn't go well.<br/>This story is a sequel to Ripples 4.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ripples 5

## Ripples 5

by Grey

Author's webpage: <http://grey.ravenshadow.net/>

* * *

Disclaimer: Not mine, yet. 

Summary: Jim's first meeting with Drew doesn't go well. 

Notes: Thanks to Jenn aka XFreak for the edits. 

Warning: If you don't like the idea of Jim and Blair being sexually and emotionally involved with others, don't read this series. This is slightly AU and has a prominent original character. 

* * *

Ripples 5  
by Grey 

"Coffee. Oh, man, do I need coffee." 

Jim sat at the table reading the newspaper, amused as his partner stumbled into the kitchen, fuzzy hair carelessly tied back, his eyes barely open. "Morning, Chief." 

Blair grumbled, "mornings suck," as he poured the dark liquid and drank without waiting for it to cool. He served himself another before he slumped at the table. 

"You okay?" 

"Tired." 

"I see that. You got in late." 

"I stayed up grading papers." He put his head down and groaned. "I hate teaching sometimes." 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah, at least the paperwork part." Lifting his head again, he shrugged and sipped before he continued. "The classes aren't bad, but when I read through the tests, I wonder if the kids were in the same room I was." 

"That bad, huh?" 

"Pretty bad." He drank more coffee and looked around. "So, did Simon leave already?" 

"He left yesterday afternoon." A brief silence played between them until Jim added, "What about Drew? You two have a good day?" 

"Yeah." Still avoiding Jim's eyes, Blair sat straighter. "I feel bad about Saturday. I'm not sure why I reacted like that." 

"Don't worry about it. We should've been a little more discreet. We'll do better next time." 

"That's not it." Blair sat back, his body less sluggish. "Like I said, this is your place." 

"It's your place too, Chief. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but we just haven't worked out the logistics yet. It's not like we planned this. We could go to his place next time." 

"Face it. You go to Simon's and every neighbor's going to be checking you out. Simon comes here, nobody cares. It's safer." 

"What makes you think that?" 

"I've been here long enough to know the people in this building mind their own business. Last time I went to Simon's, everyone on the street wanted my mom's name and my whole life history. Mrs. Gardner next door would know every detail of your lives, Jim. And if she knew, then eventually it would get to Daryl before you and Simon were ready to tell him." 

Jim shook his head and put down the paper. "You've put a lot of thought into this." 

"Yeah, well, I'm just trying to figure out how it's all going to work. I can move out if that helps. Drew's asked me to move in." 

Breathing became a challenge, but Jim steadied himself and pretended it didn't matter. "Is that what you want?" 

"I don't know. I can't decide. On the one hand, it'd give you and Simon some privacy. On the other, I'm not sure if I'm ready for that kind of commitment." 

"Don't do it for me. If you want to move, fine. But, if you think you have to for my sake, don't." He swallowed hard and cleared his throat, the words difficult to manage. "I like having you here." 

"Thanks, man." Blair smiled, his face more alert, his voice stronger. "I like living here, too. I just don't want to put a crimp in your love life now that you've finally got one." He laughed as he teased. "Man, Simon of all people. I never even suspected. He's a damn fine actor." 

"We all are, Chief." 

The serious tone brought his head up. "What?" 

"All of us, you, me, Simon. I've been in the closet so long that it's a relief to finally share it with someone who has the same secret." 

"What about Carolyn? Didn't she know?" 

"I don't think so. If she did, she never used it against me. We had a decent sex life. It was out of bed that we had problems." 

"Oh, man, I've been there." 

"With Drew?" 

"No." Blair stood up and got the coffee to warm up first his cup and then Jim's while he talked. "Drew and I are friends. He knows more about me than anybody except my mom. I was sixteen when I first met him." 

"Sixteen?" 

"My first year at Rainier. He was so articulate and handsome. I had a huge crush, but I had no idea he was gay until I met his partner Jason Monette. About floored me. Talk about good looking. This guy was drop-dead gorgeous." 

"Was? What happened?" 

"Cancer." Blair's voice softened as he sat back down, both hands wrapped around the mug on the table. "He suffered, man. And so did Drew. Every day for six months I could see the toll it took, watching the man he loved waste away, not able to do anything. It's the worst thing I can imagine." 

"I'm sorry." 

"Anyway, after Jason died about four years ago, Drew went a little crazy, took a leave of absence and locked himself away to just mourn in private. That's when he wrote BABYLON KISSES." 

Jim recalled the poignant elegies of loss and grieving and nodded. "That explains his poetry. It's pretty powerful." 

"So is he. I can't explain it, but when I'm with him, I feel really safe." He whispered as he continued. "He says he loves me." 

"And how do you feel?" 

"I think I love him, too. I mean, I do love him, I'm just not sure if I'm _in_ love with him." Blair met his eyes, the blue so dark it shimmered. "What about you, Jim? Are you in love with Simon?" 

"Yeah, I am." 

"That's great." He turned away, nodding. "I'm happy for you." As he stood up, he stretched, the bones in his back popping one after another with each move. "I need a shower. What time should I be at the station? Aren't we supposed to be bringing in Simmons today?" 

"You sure you want to be there? 

"Hell, yes. We've got enough evidence to put the asshole away and I want to be there when he goes down. Son of a bitch is the worst kind of predator." 

Jim tilted his head, taking in the rushed breathing and fast heartbeat. "You okay?" 

"I just wish we could've picked him up sooner." 

"We needed solid evidence. The Taylor boy can give us that." 

Blair pushed back his hair, his face a mix of anger and disgust. "What that guy did, Jim, it makes me sick." 

"I know. Me, too." 

"But we sat there and didn't do anything, knowing what might happen." 

"It's the law." 

"Well, the law sucks sometimes, man." Blair headed down the hallway to the restroom, calling back over his shoulder. "What time do we pick the bastard up?" 

"The arrest goes down around one." 

"I'll be there." 

* * *

"Simmons is a dead man." 

"Settle down, Jim. Blair's going to be okay." 

"No thanks to Turley or Swanson. Where the hell where they when that sick fuck headed out the back way dragging my partner?" Jim paced the limited space of the ER waiting room, his nerves all firing at once. Other people in the room flinched away with every approach, their eyes wide and fearful. The antiseptic smells turned his stomach as the grinding mix of voices and machines assaulted his hearing. He sagged down on one of the long couches and lowered his face to his hands, his head pounding heavy blows inside his skull. "I could've lost him." 

"But you didn't. The doctor said he should be all right." Simon sat beside him, his hand on his shoulder, his voice a deep balm. "Admitting him for observation is just a precaution." 

"I want to kill Simmons." 

"We all do, but this will just add fuel for a longer sentence." 

Lifting his head, still angry, Jim barked, "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" 

"Jim, just calm down." 

Standing again, Jim walked the room, his rage caged but still wild and snarling. "I can't, not when they won't even let me in there." 

"You can see him when he's in his room. It shouldn't be much longer." 

"It was just so stupid. Why didn't he do what I told him and stay in the fucking truck?" 

Simon leaned back, his arms spread on the back of the couch, his voice still calm and rational. "He's Sandburg." 

"Good point." 

Once again, Jim sat down and took several long breaths before he spoke. "This isn't supposed to happen." 

"What?" 

"He's not supposed to get hurt." 

"He could've gotten hurt driving to school, too. Things happen." 

"But they happen more because he's with me. Let's face it, Simon. Working with me has put him in danger more times than I like to think about. Kincaid, Brackett, Lash, Carusco. Shit. I might as well put a sign on his back and say, come fuck with my partner." 

"None of those were your fault." 

"Carusco was. He would never have fallen for Maya if I hadn't set him up. It almost got him killed." 

"I'm to blame, too, then, because I knew about it. I should've stopped you. Neither of us thought it would get to that point." 

"I never planned on him falling for her." 

"I know." 

Simon stayed quiet and Jim looked over. "What?" 

"Nothing." 

"Don't nothing me. What?" 

Simon leaned in and lowered his voice. "This isn't the place. We'll talk later." 

"Look, Simon, I'm not in the mood for games. If you've got something to say, say it." 

"I just wondered why it bothered you so much, Sandburg falling for the Carusco girl. She was damn pretty. Did you really think he wouldn't notice?" 

"You didn't see him after she dumped him. He was a mess." He whispered, the ache of remembering that night after Maya's visit painful. "He cried. He doesn't do that very often, not even after being scared shitless with Lash. And I was responsible. Just like now." 

"What are you going to do? Stop letting him ride along?" 

"No, but..." 

"But what? It's part of the package. He knows that, Jim. He accepts it." 

"Maybe I don't." 

"Then maybe you'd better figure out how you're going to manage to keep him any safer than the rest of us, because as long as he's around, he's in danger." 

"I know that." 

"Then you'd better learn to deal with it before it tears you apart." 

Sitting back, Jim ran his hand over his short hair. "I'm trying." 

Before he could say anything else, a nurse stepped to the doorway. "Captain Banks, Detective Ellison?" Both men chorused a yes as she stepped closer. "Mr. Sandburg's been moved to room 415. Dr. Gaines said you could go up, but to only stay a few minutes. You can come back later tonight for visiting hours after he's rested." 

"Thank you." Jim took a deep breath, stood up, and headed for the elevator, Simon right behind him. 

On the ride up, Simon asked, "Jim?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Do you think we should call that Drew person he's been seeing?" 

"What?" Startled, Jim glanced over at his lover as if he'd grown horns. "Why?" 

"You said they were serious. Wouldn't you want to know if he were in the hospital?" 

Rubbing his temples with one hand, Jim closed his eyes and listened to the annoying dings of the passing floors. "Blair should be out of here by tomorrow. He can call then." 

The elevator opened and Jim got out without talking. Once inside the room, he stood paralyzed, taking in the bruises on Blair's neck and face, the bandage on his left temple. Eyelids fluttered as Blair sighed and turned his head slowly. "Jim? That you?" 

"Yeah, Chief. I'm here." He stepped closer and leaned on the raised metal rail. "How you doing?" 

"My head hurts." 

"Concussions do that." 

"I know." Blair touched the dressing lightly and then closed his eyes again. 

Simon stepped up next to him, his dark eyes focused on both men. "You two got everything settled?" 

"Nothing to settle, Simon. I fucked up. I should've stayed in the truck." 

"So why didn't you? Jim had the whole thing planned." 

"When Jim was going in, I saw the other guy, Dawson, through the window. He was hiding behind the counter with a gun. I couldn't call out without warning Simmons, so I thought I'd go in myself and try to distract him." 

Jim clenched his jaw and managed to keep his voice from breaking. "You almost got yourself killed, Blair." 

"I couldn't just sit there when you could get ambushed." 

Containing his temper, Jim shook his head and took Blair's hand and squeezed it gently. "We'll talk about all this later, Chief. Just rest for now." He paused for a second before he added, "You want me to call Drew?" 

"What? No, don't." 

Surprised, Jim released Blair's hand and stood up. "Why not?" 

"Because he's going to kill me." 

"Why?" 

"He thinks I'm just an observer, remember. I'd just as soon he not find out about this. He'd just worry." 

Simon shook his head, his voice doubtful. "Come on, Sandburg. If you like this guy, he's got to know the truth." 

"The truth? About what? I can't tell him about Jim and he's not going to understand why I'm playing cop otherwise. So, for now, it's just better this way." 

"Chief, you said you trusted Marshall. If you want to tell him about me, you can. I trust your judgment." 

Blair closed his eyes and shivered under the white sheets, his damaged face pale, his swollen lips frowning. "Can we talk about all this later? I'm really tired." 

"Sure. Rest. We'll be back. Just take it easy." 

They walked out and closed the door, both remaining quiet until they reached the elevator. Jim hit the button several times, waited, and punched it again. "Fucking elevators. I'm taking the stairs." 

He didn't even wait for Simon, just bolted to the nearest exit, his muscles bunched up and needing action. Half way down, he stopped, leaning his forehead against the cool concrete surface and taking long calming breaths. 

"Jim?" A strong, dark hand hooked his neck and drew him against solid chest, lips tracing his temple, down his jawline, finally finding his mouth. The kiss sucked away his anger and tapped the fire up his middle. 

Pulling away enough to beg, Jim whispered, "My place, now." 

"I'm driving." 

He smiled and dragged his boss down the stairs, his body starved for release. "When we get home, drive all you want." 

* * *

"Detective Ellison? I'm looking for Blair. They told me downstairs to see you. What's going on? Why won't anyone tell me where he is?" 

Jim stood up, closing the Simmons report, caught off guard by both the barrage of questions in a honey-smooth voice and the man's youthful appearance. Looking more forty than fifty, fit and trim, Drew Marshall stood by his desk, his face anxious. No wonder his partner fell for the guy. Damn. "Dr. Marshall, I presume." 

"Where's Blair?" 

"Why don't we go into the break room?" 

"Why don't you cut the shit and just tell me what's going on?" 

"He's in the hospital, but he's going to be fine. Concussion, bruises. The doctor just wanted to keep him for observation." 

Marshall opened his mouth and covered it with his right hand, his brown eyes shocked. He cleared his throat and quickly recovered, his voice still naturally husky and thick. "You're sure he's okay?" 

"He will be." 

"Why didn't you call me?" 

Pausing, Jim frowned. "Blair asked me not to." 

"Blair did? Why?" 

"Didn't want you to worry." 

"God." 

"Look, I'm going back there as soon as I finish the report on the men who assaulted him." 

"Assaulted? Shit. Which hospital?" 

"Cascade General." 

As Marshall turned to leave, Jim touched his arm only to have the other man whip around, his hands fisted. "Don't touch me." 

"I'm sorry." 

"What the fuck were you thinking? He's a student, not a cop." 

"I know that." 

"Then why didn't you protect him?" 

"I tried. He was supposed to stay in the truck, but he didn't. You know Sandburg. A mind of his own. He thought he was protecting me." 

"But why? What is it with you two?" 

Jim clenched his jaw, his eyes seeing the hurt, the panic. He fought down the urge to confess. "You'll have to ask Blair." 

"I have asked. Now, I'm asking you. What is it that makes him willing to risk his life for you?" 

"He's my partner." 

"But he's not a cop." 

"He's still my partner. Anything else, you have to get from him." 

Marshall stepped closer, his eyes narrowed and angry. "I promise you this, Ellison, I'm going to do everything I can to get him away from all this violence. He doesn't belong in your world." 

"That's for him to decide." 

"I know that, but I want him to live long enough to make the decision." 

As Marshall stormed out, Jim sat down at his desk, exhausted. Simon walked out of his office, his face concerned. "I take it that was the professor?" 

"The one and only." 

"Didn't look happy." 

"For a good reason. He has every right to be pissed." 

"Don't start that again, Jim." 

Shaking his head, Jim turned and opened his file. "I need to finish this, sir. Are you coming with me to see Blair?" 

"Might be crowded." 

"I might need the back up." 

"I'll be there." 

The end 


End file.
